Top Ten Most Prolific Composers
Premise Checker
ranked by hours of music composed, based on a survey
conducted by _Classical Music_. Source: Russell Ash,
_The Top Ten of Everything 2000_ (NY: DK [Dorling
Kindersley] Publishing, 1999), p. 163.
Haydn (1732-1809) 340 hours
Handel (1685-1759) 303
Mozart (1756-91) 202
Bach (1685-1750) 175
Schubert (1797-1828) 134
Beethoven (1770-1827) 120
Purcell (1659-95) 116
Verdi (1813-1901) 87
Dvorak (1841-1904) 79
Liszt (1811-86) 76
Tchaikovsky (1840-93) 76
I'm sure that Vivaldi wrote more that 76 hours of
concerti for 1, 2, 3, and 4 HeckelFones alone and
Telemann at least that much table music.
I wonder how many of Beethoven's 120 hours were
published with opus numbers.
A division of the hours into instrumental and vocal
would also be useful.
Frank Forman
John E. Prussing
>Frank Forman
This seems to be an eminently silly survey. For starters, it (if it
is correct) does not measure "hours composed" but hours recorded.
It's known that a significant amount of Bach's compositions are lost,
and hence never recorded.
And I agree that Vivaldi's recordings would exceed Purcell's (whom I
like alot).
This seems highly suspect. In our digital age, lots of information
is out there, but that doesn't mean every analysis of it is correct.
--
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
John E. Prussing
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
John Harkness
be the most prolific by time.
John Harkness
Grant
piano music, I know that Liszt wrote more than 76 hrs worth of music.
The accuracy of this survey is very suspect IMO.
Grant
Josh Klein
I suspect that -- in most repertoire -- decent and reasonable interpreters'
times to perform any given piece could easily vary by 10 to 15%.
This would be enough to switch the order of several of these composers,
if the estimates weren't made using a hypothetical consistant interpeetive
standard.
Not to mention, of course, the questions of (a) "lost" composititons,
(b) how to count variants, reworkings, fragments, etc. -- e.g., does
Beethoven's piano version of his violin concerto count as a separate
work; (c) do repeats without variations count as separate time.
And as a measure of how "much" composing any of these composers has
done, there's also the complication of measuring fully-orchestrated
works against solo works - or, for that matter, slow works with a few
long notes against fast works with lots and lots of notes.
> Frank Forman
--
Josh Klein
Amherst College
Matthew B. Tepper
--
Matthew B. Tepper: WWW, science fiction, classical music, ducks!
My personal home page -- http://home.earthlink.net/~oy/index.html
My main music page --- http://home.earthlink.net/~oy/berlioz.html
To write to me, do for my address what Androcles did for the lion
"Compassionate Conservatism?" * "Tight Slacks?" * "Jumbo Shrimp?"
parachu...@my-deja.com
greatest.
In article <Pine.SOL.4.10.100081...@clark.net>,
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Peter T. Daniels
>
> Dawk, where's Webern? And Ruggles? And Varèse? And Duparc?
Their prolificity just sends them way off the list!
--
Peter T. Daniels gram...@worldnet.att.net
Abram Plum
> In article <Pine.SOL.4.10.100081...@clark.net>,
> Premise Checker <che...@clark.net> wrote:
> > TOP TEN MOST PROLIFIC COMPOSERS
> >
> > ranked by hours of music composed, based on a survey
> > conducted by _Classical Music_. Source: Russell Ash,
> > _The Top Ten of Everything 2000_ (NY: DK [Dorling
> > Kindersley] Publishing, 1999), p. 163.
> >
> > Haydn (1732-1809) 340 hours
> > Handel (1685-1759) 303
> > Mozart (1756-91) 202
> > Bach (1685-1750) 175
> > Schubert (1797-1828) 134
> >
> > Beethoven (1770-1827) 120
> > Purcell (1659-95) 116
> > Verdi (1813-1901) 87
> > Dvorak (1841-1904) 79
> > Liszt (1811-86) 76
> > Tchaikovsky (1840-93) 76
> >
Has anyone added up the number of hours for Hovhaness? (And has anyone
listened to all of his works?)
Abram Plum
Tony W. Frye
to endure.
> Premise Checker wrote:
>
> TOP TEN MOST PROLIFIC COMPOSERS
>
> ranked by hours of music composed, based on a survey
> conducted by _Classical Music_. Source: Russell Ash,
> _The Top Ten of Everything 2000_ (NY: DK [Dorling
> Kindersley] Publishing, 1999), p. 163.
>
> Haydn (1732-1809) 340 hours
> Handel (1685-1759) 303
> Mozart (1756-91) 202
> Bach (1685-1750) 175
> Schubert (1797-1828) 134
>
> Beethoven (1770-1827) 120
> Purcell (1659-95) 116
> Verdi (1813-1901) 87
> Dvorak (1841-1904) 79
> Liszt (1811-86) 76
> Tchaikovsky (1840-93) 76
>
Matthew B. Tepper
>
> Where's Wagner? He composed the most marathon-like operas I've ever
> had to endure.
Yes, but even a baker's-dozen operas at (perhaps) an average four hours
each still total far short of the 76-hour low-water-mark. The symphony,
Faust-Ouverture, "Siegfried Idyll," Wesendonck-Lieder and other short
works don't even come close to making up the difference.
paul stanbrook
>TOP TEN MOST PROLIFIC COMPOSERS
>I'm sure that Vivaldi wrote more that 76 hours of
>concerti for 1, 2, 3, and 4 HeckelFones alone and
>Telemann at least that much table music.
I have always had great respect for Vivaldi, but to write concerti for an
instrument that was not to be invented until about 150 years after his death
seems quite remarkable.
Regards,
Paul
Ian Kemmish
che...@clark.net says...
>
>TOP TEN MOST PROLIFIC COMPOSERS
>
>conducted by _Classical Music_. Source: Russell Ash,
>_The Top Ten of Everything 2000_ (NY: DK [Dorling
At what tempi? With or without repeats? ;-)
Probably the first composer for whom we have a reasonably precise idea of the
duration of his works is Gerschwin, and I'd venture that for anyone active
before around 1850, the margin of error could be anything between 20% and
50%.....
[E.g. look at various descriptions of the surviving 17th and 18th Century
barrel-organ `recordings' of published works, and their sometimes startling
tempi.]
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Ian Kemmish 18 Durham Close, Biggleswade, Beds SG18 8HZ, UK
i...@five-d.com Tel: +44 1767 601 361
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Behind every successful organisation stands one person who knows the secret
of how to keep the managers away from anything truly important.
David Kirkpatrick
>
> TOP TEN MOST PROLIFIC COMPOSERS
>
> ranked by hours of music composed, based on a survey
> conducted by _Classical Music_. Source: Russell Ash,
> _The Top Ten of Everything 2000_ (NY: DK [Dorling
>
> Haydn (1732-1809) 340 hours
> Handel (1685-1759) 303
> Mozart (1756-91) 202
> Bach (1685-1750) 175
> Schubert (1797-1828) 134
>
> Beethoven (1770-1827) 120
> Purcell (1659-95) 116
> Verdi (1813-1901) 87
> Dvorak (1841-1904) 79
> Liszt (1811-86) 76
> Tchaikovsky (1840-93) 76
>
> concerti for 1, 2, 3, and 4 HeckelFones alone and
> Telemann at least that much table music.
Didn't Vivaldi claim to have written 75 or 100 operas? And I thought
Telemann was famous for having written more than Handel and Bach
combined. And what about more recent composers like Hovaness and
Brian? Obviously there must have been some cutoff in terms of
popularity or reputation when considering who was a candidate for the
list, but what reasonable cut-off would include Purcell but not Vivaldi
or Telemann?
Interesting that by the temporal duration measure, Satie's "Vexations"
alone makes him more prolific than several Weberns.
And what about John Cage's 1,283,102'46" for prepared piano? (OK, I made
that one up.)
Perhaps a "bar count" would be a better measure than total hours
(apologies to Hildegard von Bingen fans).
David
Dirk Siebert
> Interesting that by the temporal duration measure, Satie's "Vexations"
> alone makes him more prolific than several Weberns.
>
> And what about John Cage's 1,283,102'46" for prepared piano? (OK, I made
> that one up.)
These days starts in Halberstadt (Germany) the performance of a single
organ work from John Cage (as slow as possible) which will last about
639 years. It starts with a pause of nearly 1.5 years, so there is
enough time to build the organ meanwhile.
> Perhaps a "bar count" would be a better measure than total hours
> (apologies to Hildegard von Bingen fans).
even better: note and pause count, so Hildegard gets a chance.
Dirk
David Kirkpatrick
>
> > Interesting that by the temporal duration measure, Satie's "Vexations"
> > alone makes him more prolific than several Weberns.
> >
> > And what about John Cage's 1,283,102'46" for prepared piano? (OK, I made
> > that one up.)
>
> These days starts in Halberstadt (Germany) the performance of a single
> organ work from John Cage (as slow as possible) which will last about
> 639 years. It starts with a pause of nearly 1.5 years, so there is
> enough time to build the organ meanwhile.
he he! I might have know that truth was stranger than fiction!
Imagine the disappointment of an internet user searching for "prolific,
long organ" and getting this thread!
> > Perhaps a "bar count" would be a better measure than total hours
> > (apologies to Hildegard von Bingen fans).
>
> even better: note and pause count, so Hildegard gets a chance.
>
> Dirk
So how many points does Penderecki's "Threnody to the Victim's of
Hiroshima" get?
David
Peter T. Daniels
Brian doesn't count; most of his 32 symphonies are under 20 minutes.
David Kirkpatrick
I was thinking of his total output. From a perusal of the "official" HB
website,
http://www.musicweb.force9.co.uk/music/brian/
it appears that symphonies make up maybe 1/3 of his total output,
although one would probably have to include "lost" works to make Brian a
contender in the "notes in the outbachs" contest. Since I've never
heard a work by Havergal Brian, however, this is my last post regarding
him.
Some other thoughts regarding prolific composers:
1. I wonder how many hours of Handel music is recycled from earlier
Handel music.
2. I have no idea of the hour, bar or note tally for these composers,
but I'm curious whether Villa-Lobos, Saint-Saens, Milhaud and/or
Hindemith might be contenders in the Liszt-Tchaikovsky range.
David
I. Neill Reid
>TOP TEN MOST PROLIFIC COMPOSERS
>
>ranked by hours of music composed, based on a survey
>conducted by _Classical Music_. Source: Russell Ash,
>_The Top Ten of Everything 2000_ (NY: DK [Dorling
>Kindersley] Publishing, 1999), p. 163.
As you point out, perhaps a shade incomplete:
Palestrina, for example, wrote 93 masses, four books of Lamentations,
35 magnificats, 280+ motets in at least 8 books, 3 books of madrigals,
68 Offertories, 45 Hymns, and a wheen of other stuff
(see http://www.universitymusicedition.com/palestri.html)
I am certain that a continuous performance of that music would amount to
well over 76 hours.
Neill Reid - i...@morales.physics.upenn.edu
>
>Haydn (1732-1809) 340 hours
>Handel (1685-1759) 303
>Mozart (1756-91) 202
>Bach (1685-1750) 175
>Schubert (1797-1828) 134
>
>Beethoven (1770-1827) 120
>Purcell (1659-95) 116
>Verdi (1813-1901) 87
>Dvorak (1841-1904) 79
>Liszt (1811-86) 76
>Tchaikovsky (1840-93) 76
>
>I'm sure that Vivaldi wrote more that 76 hours of
>concerti for 1, 2, 3, and 4 HeckelFones alone and
>Telemann at least that much table music.
>
jbay...@hotmail.com
David Kirkpatrick <dak...@home.com> wrote:
<snip>
> it appears that symphonies make up maybe 1/3 of his total output,
> although one would probably have to include "lost" works to make Brian
a
> contender in the "notes in the outbachs" contest.
One would have to. If his symphonies are about a third of his
output (in units time), then all his compositions amount to
some 42 hours.
John
Matthew B. Tepper
> >>concerti for 1, 2, 3, and 4 HeckelFones alone and
>
> >an instrument that was not to be invented until about 150 years after
> >his death seems quite remarkable.
>
Nyuk if you will, but I was just watching (and re-watching!) one of the
old New York Philharmonic "Young People's Concerts," written and
narrated by Leonard Bernstein, called "What is a Concerto?" (It's in a
humongous box of 10 VHS tapes, containing 25 programs among them dating
from 1958 to 1969 broadcasts, and normally costs $350+, but I picked up
a used copy in great condition for half that on eBay.)
Anyway, Lenny traces the "concerto" concept from the Baroque concerti
grossi to works with fewer and fewer instruments in the concertino, to
solo-and-orchestra works (offering what he called a "John Corigliano
festival," since Corigliano Sr. was concertmaster in those years), and
finally the last couple of movements of the Bartok Concerto for
Orchestra. For starters, however, he conducts (from the harpsichord!) a
movement from a Vivaldi Concerto for Diverse Instruments which was
originally hatched for some oddball combination, in which the concertino
included two mandolins, two theorbes (their parts played on harps),
three trombe marine (their parts played on trumpets!), something I can't
recall (its part played on a bass oboe), and a couple of flutes. Having
heard this, I am planning to buy the "Bernstein Century" CD which
contains the whole work, but I would also love to hear a HIP version on
something even slightly resembling period instruments. Any suggestions
of a CD issue?
Beth Diane Garfinkel
> In article <Pine.SOL.4.10.100081...@clark.net>, Premise Checker <che...@clark.net> writes...
>>TOP TEN MOST PROLIFIC COMPOSERS
> Palestrina, for example, wrote 93 masses, four books of Lamentations,
> 35 magnificats, 280+ motets in at least 8 books, 3 books of madrigals,
> 68 Offertories, 45 Hymns, and a wheen of other stuff
> (see http://www.universitymusicedition.com/palestri.html)
> I am certain that a continuous performance of that music would amount to
> well over 76 hours.
Well, I don't understand why Telemann isn't in the list; he's in the
Guinness book of world records as the most prolific composer EVERl I don't
think all of his surviving works have made it into print yet, much less
onto recording, wo we can't know exactly how long his total output runs.
That said, I think Palestrina's contribution is perhaps more impressive.
I don't know about people growing up in a given style, but as a purveyor
of fine pastiche, I can tell you that renaissance counterpoint is much
more difficult to write than high baroque rocambole--and Telemann's music
actually has a lot more musical content than it's given credit for.
Beth
--
"Under the green wood tree/Who loves to lie with me/And tune his merry
note/Unto the sweet bird's throat/Come hither, come hither, come hither/
Here he shall see/No enemy/But winter and rough weather."
--William Shakespeare
Ian Lowery
>Premise Checker wrote in message ...
>>I'm sure that Vivaldi wrote more that 76 hours of
>>concerti for 1, 2, 3, and 4 HeckelFones alone and
>I have always had great respect for Vivaldi, but to write concerti for an
>instrument that was not to be invented until about 150 years after his death
>seems quite remarkable.
The originals were written for the Muckinese battle horn.
Ian Lowery
------------------------------------------------
To reply, remove "nospam" from my e-mail address.
Ian Lowery
>That said, I think Palestrina's contribution is perhaps more impressive.
One of Dudley Moore's favourites. He did his BMus thesis on Palestrina
counterpoint. (He confessed this at a one man show at Sydney Uni where
he did Colnel Bogey a la Berethoven, and a fantastic one man rendition
of Die Flaubergaust - a frenetic duet between baritone and soprano,
accompanied by the piano).
>Telemann's music actually has a lot more musical content than it's given credit for.
Absolutely, he wrote some fantastic stuff. I probably like his trio
sonatas most of all.
Norman M. Schwartz
Matthew B. Tepper <o...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:39A36F7C...@earthlink.net...
> Having
> heard this, I am planning to buy the "Bernstein Century"
CD which
> contains the whole work, but I would also love to hear a
HIP version on
> something even slightly resembling period instruments.
Any suggestions
> of a CD issue?
RV 558, I believe:
IL Giardino Armonico/Teldec 4509-91182-2
English Concert/Pinnock Archiv 415 674-2 (o/p?)
Peter T. Daniels
A considerable number of Archiv albums (which you'd think would be
fairly standard repertory with recognized performers) are available as
Tower Imports at badly inflated prices, and that includes a number of
Pinnock's.
BTW I've been trying to find a recording of his that seems to be a WQXR
favorite -- it's been on twice in the last few months: Overture and
Suite from Il Pastor Fido (Handel). It's sort of an oboe-and-bassoon
concerto. It's not in the catalog, and I found another recording that
doesn't list an oboe soloist so it may not be the same work (it's called
"Suite No. 2," H.8b -- maybe the one Pinnock does is H.8a or H.8c, or
some such. Any ideas?
Norman M. Schwartz
Peter T. Daniels <gram...@worldnet.att.net> wrote in
message news:39A3BA...@worldnet.att.net...
> A considerable number of Archiv albums (which you'd think
would be
> fairly standard repertory with recognized performers) are
available as
> Tower Imports at badly inflated prices, and that includes
a number of
> Pinnock's.
>
> BTW I've been trying to find a recording of his that seems
to be a WQXR
> favorite -- it's been on twice in the last few months:
Overture and
> Suite from Il Pastor Fido (Handel). It's sort of an
oboe-and-bassoon
> concerto. It's not in the catalog, and I found another
recording that
> doesn't list an oboe soloist so it may not be the same
work (it's called
> "Suite No. 2," H.8b -- maybe the one Pinnock does is H.8a
or H.8c, or
> some such. Any ideas?
I think you are looking for Handel: Overtures, in
particular, HWV 8a, (with oboe, bassoon, double bass and
theorbo) Pinnock/English Concert, Archiv 419 219-2. (WQXR
has a play list at their web site, www.wqxr.com which is
excellent and up-to-date, giving both catalog nos. and
performing artists.) Additionally, having participated in a
Universal Classics Survey, you AND others here might be
interested in their plan to announce within the next 3
months, a program for the re-release of o/p material (upon
request ?) It seems they have not decided what to do about
the booklets.
My reward for participating was DG CD 457 607-2 Steinberg:
Symphony no. 1, etc. (said to be available only in Europe),
and a T-shirt (available everywhere).
Peter T. Daniels
> > BTW I've been trying to find a recording of his that seems to be a WQXR
> > favorite -- it's been on twice in the last few months: Overture and
> > Suite from Il Pastor Fido (Handel). It's sort of an oboe-and-bassoon
> > concerto. It's not in the catalog, and I found another recording that
> > doesn't list an oboe soloist so it may not be the same work (it's called
> > "Suite No. 2," H.8b -- maybe the one Pinnock does is H.8a or H.8c, or
> > some such. Any ideas?
>
> I think you are looking for Handel: Overtures, in
> particular, HWV 8a, (with oboe, bassoon, double bass and
> theorbo) Pinnock/English Concert, Archiv 419 219-2. (WQXR
> has a play list at their web site, www.wqxr.com which is
> excellent and up-to-date, giving both catalog nos. and
> performing artists.)
The Overture and Suite goes on for quite a while -- like it might have
filled a whole side of an LP. (And I think I would have noticed a
theorbo! -- and the announcer gave the names of oboist and bassoonist
but not other soloists.) So maybe we're looking for an H.8c ...
> Additionally, having participated in a
> Universal Classics Survey, you AND others here might be
> interested in their plan to announce within the next 3
> months, a program for the re-release of o/p material (upon
> request ?) It seems they have not decided what to do about
> the booklets.
DG/Archiv has this plan? or WQXR? (Some of the DG Originals are Archiv
albums -- I recently noticed Ralph Kirkpatrick's English Suites.
Remember when Archiv records came with a giant filing card, with careful
classification scheme so you could keep your library in perfect order?)
> My reward for participating was DG CD 457 607-2 Steinberg:
> Symphony no. 1, etc. (said to be available only in Europe),
> and a T-shirt (available everywhere).
Hmm, a Steinberg symphony should have been recorded in Pittsburgh, and
they worked for Vanguard, I think ... my first Beethoven and Brahms
symphony sets were his really cheap -- and it turns out really good --
boxes.
Mark Slater
1b in Novello series "Twenty Overtures in authentic keyboard arrangements". The
catalogue no. is: 100269 04
Mark Slater
Musica laetitiae comes medicina dolorum.
(Music is the companion of joy and the medicine of sorrow.)
Norman M. Schwartz
> The Overture and Suite goes on for quite a while -- like
it might have
> filled a whole side of an LP. (And I think I would have
noticed a
> theorbo! -- and the announcer gave the names of oboist and
bassoonist
> but not other soloists.) So maybe we're looking for an
H.8c ...
On the CD, Archiv 419 219-2, in my hands currently, HWV 8a
Il pastor fido, "Overture", 6 tracks; 4' 12, 3' 53", 2' 12"
2' 00, 8' 20" and 3' 24". If you know the day(s) it was
aired, you should be able to identify the CD you heard by
searching at www.wqxr.com
> > Additionally, having participated in a
> > Universal Classics Survey, you AND others here might be
> > interested in their plan to announce within the next 3
> > months, a program for the re-release of o/p material
(upon
> > request ?) It seems they have not decided what to do
about
> > the booklets.
> DG/Archiv has this plan? or WQXR? (Some of the DG
Originals are Archiv
> albums -- I recently noticed Ralph Kirkpatrick's English
Suites.
> Remember when Archiv records came with a giant filing
card, with careful
> classification scheme so you could keep your library in
perfect order?)
Presumably all Universal Classics' labels. I too have those
LPs with cards and they stayed in the jackets; these are
CDswith booklets, no cards!
> > My reward for participating was DG CD 457 607-2
Steinberg:
> > Symphony no. 1, etc. (said to be available only in
Europe),
> > and a T-shirt (available everywhere).
>
> Hmm, a Steinberg symphony should have been recorded in
Pittsburgh, and
> they worked for Vanguard, I think ... my first Beethoven
and Brahms
> symphony sets were his really cheap -- and it turns out
really good --
> boxes.
No, not the conductor William Steinberg, but the composer,
Maximilian Steinberg 1883-1946, and performed by Neemi Jarvi
and the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, recorded in the
Gothenburg Concert Hall 12/1996.
Matthew B. Tepper
>
> RV 558, I believe:
> IL Giardino Armonico/Teldec 4509-91182-2
> English Concert/Pinnock Archiv 415 674-2 (o/p?)
Many thanks!
Peter T. Daniels
> On the CD, Archiv 419 219-2, in my hands currently, HWV 8a
> Il pastor fido, "Overture", 6 tracks; 4' 12, 3' 53", 2' 12"
> 2' 00, 8' 20" and 3' 24". If you know the day(s) it was
> aired, you should be able to identify the CD you heard by
> searching at www.wqxr.com
I don't suppose they have categories like "recently" and "a few months
ago" ... The number will be very helpful: Classical Muze (that computer
thing that often doesn't work anyway) had nothing, and Tower's internal
system seems to require the album number (it doesn't care about
punctuation or label, it just needs the number!).
Norman M. Schwartz
> Norman M. Schwartz wrote:
>
> > On the CD, Archiv 419 219-2, in my hands currently, HWV
8a
> > Il pastor fido, "Overture", 6 tracks; 4' 12, 3' 53", 2'
12"
> > 2' 00, 8' 20" and 3' 24". If you know the day(s) it was
> > aired, you should be able to identify the CD you heard
by
> > searching at www.wqxr.com
>
> I don't suppose they have categories like "recently" and
"a few months
> ago" ...
No. A while back there was a search engine that permitted,
composer and artists search.
The number will be very helpful: Classical Muze (that
computer
> thing that often doesn't work anyway) had nothing, and
Tower's internal
> system seems to require the album number (it doesn't care
about
> punctuation or label, it just needs the number!).
You could try to get the information you would like by
calling the WQXR Music Information Line, 212-633-7640, M-Th
10:30AM-12:30PM, at which time you can speak with a real
living person.
Their recorded message states that they will respond to a
faxed request for information, 212-663-7730. I wouldn't
think "recently" or "a few months ago" is adequate if their
search is based on a date/hour basis.
Ludwig...@hotmail.com
>
> Matthew B. Tepper <o...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
> news:39A36F7C...@earthlink.net...
>
> > Having
> > heard this, I am planning to buy the "Bernstein Century"
> CD which
> > contains the whole work, but I would also love to hear a
> HIP version on
> > something even slightly resembling period instruments.
> Any suggestions
> > of a CD issue?
>
> IL Giardino Armonico/Teldec 4509-91182-2
> English Concert/Pinnock Archiv 415 674-2 (o/p?)
One more to add:
Academy of Ancient Music/Manze -- Harmonia
Mundi France -- HMU 907230
--
Mark K. Ehlert
Matthew B. Tepper
Many thanks to all who helped with suggestions!
mamo...@my-deja.com
"765 hours and 46 seconds," for cello, in which
the player explores the logic of simplicity
and randomness by repeating C1 and G2 continuously
and intermittently, for 765 hours, 46 seconds.
Jarl Sigurd
Premise Checker wrote in message ...
>
>conducted by _Classical Music_. Source: Russell Ash,
>_The Top Ten of Everything 2000_ (NY: DK [Dorling
>Kindersley] Publishing, 1999), p. 163.
>
>Handel (1685-1759) 303
>Mozart (1756-91) 202
>Bach (1685-1750) 175
>Schubert (1797-1828) 134
>
>Beethoven (1770-1827) 120
>Purcell (1659-95) 116
>Verdi (1813-1901) 87
>Dvorak (1841-1904) 79
>Liszt (1811-86) 76
>Tchaikovsky (1840-93) 76
Isn't this a rather unfair way of evaluating a composer's
outout. After all a sonata and a symphony may have
the same duration of time when performed, but the
symphony takes much longer to write and the score
is much larger.
Jarl Sigurd
to listen to a symphony composed by Jarl Sigurd
visit: http://geocities.com/Paris/Lights/3333
Mario Martinoli
Beth Diane Garfinkel ha scritto nel messaggio
<8nvk6l$ufk$2...@flotsam.uits.indiana.edu>...
[...]
>Well, I don't understand why Telemann isn't in the list; he's in the
>Guinness book of world records as the most prolific composer EVERl
The point is: what is prolificity? IMHO, if this silly survey has a sense,
one must take into account the life duration of the composer or the number
of years when he was active. So Schubert wrote all of his output in about 13
years, while Haydn took about 50 years to write all of his music. Schubert
is therefore to be considered more prolific than Haydn or Mozart, who wrote
music for almost 30 years. Bruckner started to write his music well after
his 30s, Rossini stopped everything at about the same age, Leclair wrote
nearly everything in less than ten years, Pergolesi died 26, etc. etc.
Possibly, density in time is a better measure for composers' prolificity.
Anyway, I believe that no rankings are reasonably possible to be made in
this (totally useless) field.
Best
Mario
Bill Johnston
>
> Premise Checker wrote in message ...
> >TOP TEN MOST PROLIFIC COMPOSERS
> >
> >ranked by hours of music composed, based on a survey
> >conducted by _Classical Music_. Source: Russell Ash,
> >_The Top Ten of Everything 2000_ (NY: DK [Dorling
> >Kindersley] Publishing, 1999), p. 163.
> >
> >Haydn (1732-1809) 340 hours
> >Handel (1685-1759) 303
> >Mozart (1756-91) 202
> >Bach (1685-1750) 175
> >Schubert (1797-1828) 134
> >
> >Beethoven (1770-1827) 120
> >Purcell (1659-95) 116
> >Verdi (1813-1901) 87
> >Dvorak (1841-1904) 79
> >Liszt (1811-86) 76
> >Tchaikovsky (1840-93) 76
>
I dont get this list. It must only include what someone defines as
Major composers...wasnt Georg Telemann one of the all-time music makers?
There are also now-obscure composers like Karl Ditters von
Dittersdorf....Hey, where's Vivaldi? With his 50 operas and 400
concertos...that ought to be a couple hundred hours at the very least.
Matthew B. Tepper
>
> Isn't this a rather unfair way of evaluating a composer's outout.
> After all a sonata and a symphony may have the same duration of
> time when performed, but the symphony takes much longer to write
> and the score is much larger.
Why on earth should it be fair?
kfarad
BTW- shouldn't Telemann be somwhere on this list? I read somewhere that he
composed over 800 commissioned pieces...
-Beeri
Matthew B. Tepper <o...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:39A8798F...@earthlink.net...
Mike K. Saunders
>
> In order to give an accurate picture of the Most Prolific composers.
>
> BTW- shouldn't Telemann be somwhere on this list? I read somewhere that he
> composed over 800 commissioned pieces...
See some of the other sub-threads. According to my Guiness Book of
Records (1993), Telemann is the most prolific composer.
--
Mike Saunders -- mi...@aster.fsnet.co.uk
Site: http://www.aster.fsnet.co.uk
Peter Billiet
music should try to communicate something and when I see a piece written
with a purpose like that I tend to question its validity as actual music.
But thats my opinion
<mamo...@my-deja.com> wrote in message news:8o250d$9hq$1...@nnrp1.deja.com...
Eugene Herron
2,000 cantatas alone from him. Someone else also mentioned his Tablemusic
works. He lived a long time and worked hard.
Does anytone think that maybe whoever compiled this survey looked at
"popular" composers and then did a quick count of current recordings?
Gene
Premise Checker wrote in message ...
>TOP TEN MOST PROLIFIC COMPOSERS
>
>ranked by hours of music composed, based on a survey
>conducted by _Classical Music_. Source: Russell Ash,
>_The Top Ten of Everything 2000_ (NY: DK [Dorling
>Kindersley] Publishing, 1999), p. 163.
>
>Haydn (1732-1809) 340 hours
>Handel (1685-1759) 303
>Mozart (1756-91) 202
>Bach (1685-1750) 175
>Schubert (1797-1828) 134
>
>Beethoven (1770-1827) 120
>Purcell (1659-95) 116
>Verdi (1813-1901) 87
>Dvorak (1841-1904) 79
>Liszt (1811-86) 76
>Tchaikovsky (1840-93) 76
>
>I'm sure that Vivaldi wrote more that 76 hours of
>concerti for 1, 2, 3, and 4 HeckelFones alone and
Robert Ehrlich
Sybrand Bakker
Regards,
Sybrand Bakker
"Eugene Herron" <ghe...@bellatlantic.net> wrote in message
news:O2cv5.4890$_F3.1...@typhoon1.ba-dsg.net...
David Kirkpatrick
>
> Telemann supposedly wrote 4000 works.
Therefore, since he didn't make the list, they must have averaged 1
minute duration each. Perhaps he wrote some commercial jingles. ;-)
David
Sybrand Bakker
have wished you wrote only 5 minutes of his music.
Evidently, however compiled the list was unfamiliar with Telemann too.
Regards,
Sybrand Bakker
"David Kirkpatrick" <dak...@home.com> wrote in message
news:39BE136E...@home.com...
David Kirkpatrick
rather small, but I certainly was aware of his enormous productivity. I
was being ironic in assuming that the Top 10 list was complete and using
it to calculate the average Telemann opus based on it.
In an earlier post, I pointed out that Vivaldi and Telemann were both
overlooked.
David
Gene Herron
>> Telemann supposedly wrote 4000 works.
>
>Therefore, since he didn't make the list, they must have averaged 1
>minute duration each. Perhaps he wrote some commercial jingles. ;-)
I know you're kidding, Dave. Telemann wrote some damned good music. His
oboe and recorder works were very fine indeed. I have never heard any of his
cantatas, but I'm sure I'll get to them.
I think it's notable to mention that Telemann also wrote an epitaph to Bach.
One of the lines struck me when I first read it.... quoting roughly...
"...whose cognomen is "Great" and whose works with both delight and envy we
contemplate".
....with envy....
Shoot, I'm jealous of Bach too. It isn't everyone who has a golden touch
and who can reach people so well, so often.
What amazes me is that most of the contemporaries of Bach and Telemann would
probably have judged Telemann the better composer. Well is it not said
that a Prophet is without honor in his own nation...
and perhaps... his own time?
Gene Herron
Peter T. Daniels
> I think it's notable to mention that Telemann also wrote an epitaph to Bach.
> One of the lines struck me when I first read it.... quoting roughly...
>
> "...whose cognomen is "Great" and whose works with both delight and envy we
> contemplate".
>
> ....with envy....
>
> Shoot, I'm jealous of Bach too. It isn't everyone who has a golden touch
> and who can reach people so well, so often.
>
> What amazes me is that most of the contemporaries of Bach and Telemann would
> probably have judged Telemann the better composer. Well is it not said
> that a Prophet is without honor in his own nation...
>
> and perhaps... his own time?
They were friends (good friends, it appears; the P. in C.P.E. Bach
represents his godfather G.P.T.'s name); T. was four years older; JSB
adapted at least one concerto by T. for keyboard solo -- did T. ever do
that honor to B.?
Ludwig...@hotmail.com
> They were friends (good friends, it appears; the P. in C.P.E. Bach
> represents his godfather G.P.T.'s name); T. was four years older; JSB
> adapted at least one concerto by T. for keyboard solo -- did T. ever do
> that honor to B.?
Wasn't Telemann C.P.E. Bach's godfather?
--
Mark K. Ehlert
Peter Billiet
> Gene Herron wrote:
>
> > I think it's notable to mention that Telemann also wrote an epitaph to
Bach.
> > One of the lines struck me when I first read it.... quoting roughly...
> >
> > "...whose cognomen is "Great" and whose works with both delight and envy
we
> > contemplate".
> >
> > ....with envy....
> >
> > Shoot, I'm jealous of Bach too. It isn't everyone who has a golden
touch
> > and who can reach people so well, so often.
> >
> > What amazes me is that most of the contemporaries of Bach and Telemann
would
> > probably have judged Telemann the better composer. Well is it not said
> > that a Prophet is without honor in his own nation...
> >
> > and perhaps... his own time?
Well Bach had to wait till Mendelssohn revived his music and its been pretty
popular since then,
Matthew B. Tepper
And didn't Telemann take a matrimonial bullet, as it were, for JS?
Peter T. Daniels
>
> "Peter T. Daniels" wrote:
>
> > They were friends (good friends, it appears; the P. in C.P.E. Bach
> > represents his godfather G.P.T.'s name); T. was four years older; JSB
> > adapted at least one concerto by T. for keyboard solo -- did T. ever do
> > that honor to B.?
>
> Wasn't Telemann C.P.E. Bach's godfather?
That's what I said ...
Peter T. Daniels
> Well Bach had to wait till Mendelssohn revived his music and its been pretty
> popular since then,
That relates to the vocal music in particular (and specifically the
Matthew Passion, of course -- the cantata 80 "Ein feste Burg" had been
published decades before -- Felix's grandmother gave him the autograph
score of the SMP, and he decided a few years later to perform it); JSB's
keyboard music was always appreciated by his contemporaries and after
his death.
Ludwig...@hotmail.com
>
> Ludwig...@hotmail.com wrote:
> >
> > "Peter T. Daniels" wrote:
> >
> > > They were friends (good friends, it appears; the P. in C.P.E. Bach
> > > represents his godfather G.P.T.'s name); T. was four years older; JSB
> > > adapted at least one concerto by T. for keyboard solo -- did T. ever do
> > > that honor to B.?
> >
> > Wasn't Telemann C.P.E. Bach's godfather?
>
> That's what I said ...
D'OH!!!
--
Mark K. Ehlert
manife...@gmail.com
On Friday, August 18, 2000 2:00:00 AM UTC-5, Premise Checker wrote:
> TOP TEN MOST PROLIFIC COMPOSERS
>
> ranked by hours of music composed, based on a survey
> conducted by _Classical Music_. Source: Russell Ash,
> _The Top Ten of Everything 2000_ (NY: DK [Dorling
> Kindersley] Publishing, 1999), p. 163.
>
> Haydn (1732-1809) 340 hours
> Handel (1685-1759) 303
> Mozart (1756-91) 202
> Bach (1685-1750) 175
> Schubert (1797-1828) 134
>
> Beethoven (1770-1827) 120
> Purcell (1659-95) 116
> Verdi (1813-1901) 87
> Dvorak (1841-1904) 79
> Liszt (1811-86) 76
> Tchaikovsky (1840-93) 76
>
> I'm sure that Vivaldi wrote more that 76 hours of
> concerti for 1, 2, 3, and 4 HeckelFones alone and
> Telemann at least that much table music.
>
> published with opus numbers.
>
> A division of the hours into instrumental and vocal
> would also be useful.
>
> Frank Forman
Phillip Helbig (undress to reply)
manife...@gmail.com writes:
>What about Telemann?
Indeed. Bach wrote about 1000 pieces; Telemann about 6000, most of
which have been lost. Bach wrote 4 ouvertures or orchestral suites;
Telemann about 1000, most of which have been lost.
Telemann is seriously underrated in terms of quality.
>> I'm sure that Vivaldi wrote more that 76 hours of
>> concerti for 1, 2, 3, and 4 HeckelFones alone and
>> Telemann at least that much table music.
lost), Vivaldi about 150, and about 400 concertos altogether.
nedcro...@gmail.com
Phillip Helbig (undress to reply)
juvi...@gmail.com
On Friday, August 18, 2000 at 5:00:00 PM UTC+10, Premise Checker wrote:
> TOP TEN MOST PROLIFIC COMPOSERS
>
> ranked by hours of music composed, based on a survey
> conducted by _Classical Music_. Source: Russell Ash,
> _The Top Ten of Everything 2000_ (NY: DK [Dorling
> Kindersley] Publishing, 1999), p. 163.
>
> Haydn (1732-1809) 340 hours
> Handel (1685-1759) 303
> Mozart (1756-91) 202
> Bach (1685-1750) 175
> Schubert (1797-1828) 134
>
> Beethoven (1770-1827) 120
> Purcell (1659-95) 116
> Verdi (1813-1901) 87
> Dvorak (1841-1904) 79
> Liszt (1811-86) 76
> Tchaikovsky (1840-93) 76
>
> concerti for 1, 2, 3, and 4 HeckelFones alone and
> Telemann at least that much table music.
>
juliana...@gmail.com
Phillip Helbig (undress to reply)
juliana...@gmail.com writes:
> It seems to me that Mozart was the most prolific composer, given that he di=
> ed at half the age of Haydn. Had Mozart lived to the same age as Haydn, he=
> would have produced well over 400 hours of music. In which case, today we=
music.
henk...@aol.com
>
> ranked by hours of music composed, based on a survey
> conducted by _Classical Music_. Source: Russell Ash,
> _The Top Ten of Everything 2000_ (NY: DK [Dorling
> Kindersley] Publishing, 1999), p. 163.
>
> Haydn (1732-1809) 340 hours
> Handel (1685-1759) 303
> Mozart (1756-91) 202
> Bach (1685-1750) 175
> Schubert (1797-1828) 134
>
> Beethoven (1770-1827) 120
> Purcell (1659-95) 116
> Verdi (1813-1901) 87
> Dvorak (1841-1904) 79
> Liszt (1811-86) 76
> Tchaikovsky (1840-93) 76
>
> I'm sure that Vivaldi wrote more that 76 hours of
> concerti for 1, 2, 3, and 4 HeckelFones alone and
> Telemann at least that much table music.
>
> I wonder how many of Beethoven's 120 hours were
> published with opus numbers.
>
> A division of the hours into instrumental and vocal
> would also be useful.
>
> Frank Forman
The Austrian composer Simon Sechter wrote 5000 fugues, but I don't know how many minutes they are on average.
madame...@gmail.com
>
> So Schubert wrote all of his output in about 13
> years, while Haydn took about 50 years to write all of his music. Schubert
> is therefore to be considered more prolific than Haydn or Mozart, who wrote
> music for almost 30 years. Bruckner started to write his music well after
> his 30s,
>
> Mario
Not so. Schubert was writing from a very early age, so had a career of around 20 years, despite his early death. Some of his works that are still performed date from his early teens. Conversely, Bruckner wrote a lot of religious choral music, and some organ music, in his twenties and thirties; it is merely that his canonical works (i.e. his symphonies, which are inexplicably still performed) date from the latter half of his life. it is almost certainly correct, however, that on the basis of hours of music (or opus numbers) per year of life, Schubert is the most industrious.
Phillip Helbig (undress to reply)
> of music (or opus numbe> rs) per year of life, Schubert is the most
> industrious.
But not more so than Telemann. Telemann lived a very long life, but
off...@vienna-event-tickets.com
but ranked on composed hours of music per year of life Mozart is of course the leader.
Phillip Helbig (undress to reply)
> On Friday, August 18, 2000 at 9:00:00 AM UTC+2, Premise Checker wrote:
> > TOP TEN MOST PROLIFIC COMPOSERS
> >
> > ranked by hours of music composed, based on a survey
> > conducted by _Classical Music_. Source: Russell Ash,
> > _The Top Ten of Everything 2000_ (NY: DK [Dorling
> > Kindersley] Publishing, 1999), p. 163.
> >
> > Haydn (1732-1809) 340 hours
> > Handel (1685-1759) 303
> > Mozart (1756-91) 202
> > Bach (1685-1750) 175
> > Schubert (1797-1828) 134
> >
> > Beethoven (1770-1827) 120
> > Purcell (1659-95) 116
> > Verdi (1813-1901) 87
> > Dvorak (1841-1904) 79
> > Liszt (1811-86) 76
> > Tchaikovsky (1840-93) 76
wrote about 6000 pieces of music (so, say, 1500 hours), the list was
obviously compiled by someone of little knowledge.